Image source: early 1900's postcard. We post this poem every year (you can never get too much of a good thing!) - we slightly modified a popular dog poem to make it Wiener specific! Original source unknown.

If you have a hankering this season to revisit some of those ooey gooey Dachshund Holiday Videos, make sure and check out the recap of our favorites we did last year at this time: Classic Dachshund Christmas Videos.

To say that we are enamoured with these photos would be an understatement - what a handsome guy 'Otto' is! Thanks so much to his humans Andy and Sarah Murrell for writing in:

Dear Joey and Maggie,

My wife Sarah and I are long time lurkers on your blog. We've had our little guy Otto Von Bismarck (yes, the conqueror of Germany) now for three years (born December 3rd, 2007).

Back when he was a year old, we decided to take some pictures of him for our Christmas cards. These are his one year old Christmas photos.

Last year, we didn't do a picture, so we decided to up the ante a bit this year with this photo. We decided that Otto should be the next revision of an internet meme, specifically thethree wolf moon meme.

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Otto as a puppy

May Otto's three wolf moon photo make him irresistible to the ladies, strike fear into other males, and offer him a lifetime of good health!

Honestly, we weren't quite sure that we would both make our 10th Birthday today. 2010 was a really tough year for both of us littermates, especially 'Joey,' as regular readers of The Long and Short of it All know. This is a special day. Thanks again for all your love and support, and here's to turning 11 in 2011!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Meet little 'Lucy,' the 11-month-old red longhair who hails near Merced, California. The poor girl was afflicted with a rare disorder called "reflex achalasia," where her throat muscles tightened, and she was aspirating her food and water. Conventional surgery is usually fatal for this disorder, so her veterinarians turned to laser surgery. Lucy is the second dog in the nation to receive laser surgery for this ailment; the first was also a Dachshund. Excerpt from the Modesto Bee:

Lucy has a feeding tube, but that doesn't stop her from acting like any normal 11-month-old puppy.

The only problem Lucy has faced is she isn't allowed to have treats. "She doesn't quite understand that," human Charles Clark said.Lucy is going back to Davis this week, and the Clarks hope her feeding tube will come out and she can start eating like a normal dog again.Despite the heartache and cost Lucy has brought the Clarks, they are glad they gave the dog every chance to live."She's part of our family," Charles Clark said. "I don't think the good Lord wants us to dispose of an animal because something is wrong with it."The Clarks said the UC Davis veterinary hospital absorbed some of the cost, but they don't begrudge any of the money they spent on Lucy."We support three children in Honduras, Colombia and India," Georgia Clark said. "I believe when you have a pet, if you're in for a dime, you're in for a dollar."

We hope Lucy continues to recover well. Read all about her at the Modesto Bee.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Don't stop us now! Thanks so much to an anonymous Dachshundist for sending in the link to Google's Books Ngram Viewer, a service which looks at the occurrence of words and phrases as they appear in literature over the years. As there are obviously more books published today than in say, 1800, the service even normalizes the results by the number of books published each year. Above, we can see the popularity of Dachshunds in English literature from 1800 to 2009, with a "smoothing" of 3, where the values are averaged 3 years before and after the date on the graph. It looks like we peaked in the 1950s, but we are on the rise again in the 2000s.

However, if we set the smoothing to 0, and don't take into account the years before and after, you can see that we had some years where we definitely peaked much higher than others, and will most likely not return to again - right around the years of World War One, when the Dachshund was the recipient of much scrutiny, ridicule, and discussion for our German association.
If you have some extra time over the holidays, make sure to head over to Google's Books Ngram Viewer, and click the dated links at the bottom of the page. There you will find all the free literature that the results are gathered from; we were surprised at how much is out there.

We were also fascinated that no matter how much the world changes, the Dachshunds seem to remain the same. Check out this excerpt on Dachshund temperament from The Dogs of the British Islands, by John Henry Walsh, 1878:

No dog is so sensitive to rain and wet ground as the dachshund. They will often steal away from the coverts on a wet day and sneak homewards. Dachshunds are very headstrong and difficult to keep under command; and as they are at the same time very sensitive to chastisement, it is next to impossible to force them to do anything against their will. Many good badger dogs have been made cowards for their whole life by one severe whipping. They must be taken as they are - with all their faults, as well as their virtues. When treated always kindly, the dachshund is very faithful to his master, and not only a useful, but a most amusing dog - a very humorist among the canine family. In spite of his small frame, he has always an air of consequence and independence about him; but, at the same time, he is very inquisitive, and always ready to interfere with things with which he has no concern. He seems to have an antipathy to large dogs, and, if they object to be domineered over, the dachshund will certainly quarrel with them. When his blood is up, he will care neither for blows nor for wounds, and is often bitten dreadfully in such encounters. Therefore dachshunds should not be kept in kennels with larger dogs. When kept in houses and accustomed to children, they will make good pets, for they are clean, intelligent, and watchful, without being noisy, though often snappish with strangers.

So tell us something we DON'T know! Janet Storm over at the The Daily Reflector out of Greenville, North Carolina, muses over her naughty but handsome boy 'Clifford':

There's something about the holiday season that brings out the worst in my elderly dachshund. Make no mistake — mischief has been his second nature since he first arrived in my life. But every December he ramps up the bad boy attitude and gets into trouble with a capital T — and that stands for Christmas tree.

Perhaps this a partly my fault. The first week of every December I use vacation days to complete all my Christmas baking, shopping, shipping and decorating. It's a tradition that dates back for years and allows me to relax and enjoy the latter part of the month.

Clifford adores this vacation — or bakation as I refer to it — because I am home, the house is full of wonderful scents and he has the opportunity to wreak havoc.

At the top of his priority flowchart is stealing and consuming as many baked goods as he possibly can. I try and thwart him in this goal, but old age has made Clifford wily. He has perfected the ability to slip beneath my feet and trip me while I'm carrying a full cookie tray. He pulled this move during my most recent bakation, and when a frosted sugar cookie tipped off the edge of my tray, he had it halfway down his throat before I'd even regained my balance. A scolding caused him to run into the living room to sulk and plot further thefts. There was not a scintilla of remorse on his face when I checked on him later. His only regret, I suspect, is that I managed to hold onto the tray.

And what's wrong with that?! Read more of Clifford's amusing holiday antics over at The Daily Reflector.

Meet cute 5-month-old red smooth piebald mix 'Panini' and her human Kim Heffington, who hail from San Dimas, California. Poor Panini was born with a "peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia," essentially a hole in her diaphragm that allows organs to move loosely in her body. This condition is fatal if left untreated, as the heart can be suffocated by the shifting of other organs.
Her team at San Dimas Animal Hospital, Manuhar Singh, left above, Chris Bory, right, and vet technician Arin Hodge, didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery to correct the ailment, and the only other facility who would take the case was UC Davis, but the cost proved prohibitive. Excerpt from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune:

That left Bory and Singh to do the procedure themselves. "For us, we wanted to save the life of the dog," Singh said. They prepared by doing research on medical treatments, and Singh consulted a veterinarian in Carlsbad who had experience with PPDH. The surgery took a little over half an hour, during which Singh moved Panini's liver back into its proper place and repaired the diaphragm wall. After that, Panini spent a day in intensive care at East Valley Emergency Pet Clinic in Diamond Bar and then another week at San Dimas Animal Hospital for recovery. "Everything went really smoothly," Singh said. Bory added, "We feel confident now that we could do it again."

We're so glad to hear that Panini got another chance at life and is doing so well. Read more about this little girl at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall, rescue groups like MidWest Dachshund Rescue are there for the Dachshunds. 2010 was another record year for MWDR, rescuing over 215 Dachshunds in need! A majority of the dogs rescued this year were from shelters, puppy mills and breeder releases. Excerpt from MWDR's Holiday Newsletter:

Unfortunately, unlike owner surrender dogs, these puppy mill and breeder release dogs came to us with significant medical issues. Most were either poorly vetted or had received no vetting. Many were often malnourished or had survived on very poor diets. Due to living their whole lives in cages or outside some of these doxies had psychological or physical handicaps. As a result MWDR's vet expenses for 2010 placed a significant strain on our financial resources. Thanks to the continued support from the MWDR family we were able to provide all these dogs with the medical care they so desperately needed.

The holidays are a great time to make a donation to our rescue groups who work tirelessly all year long to save our favorite canines.

I'm still enjoying your blog very much, nice to read about other dachsies all over the world! I thought you might like this photo of my little rascal Pepsi in his new Santa hat. What a poser, he loves getting his photo taken - his big brother Max, a mini smooth-hair, would have nothing to do with wearing hats BOL!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Thanks so much to Annie McElhaney for writing in from Tallahassee, Florida, where it's got to be warmer than it is at the world headquarters of The Long and Short of it All here in Chicago. We're jealous. She sends beautiful photos of her beloved duo 'Jasper' and 'Ruby!' Thanks so much. She writes:

Happy Holidays to Joey and Maggie!

First of all let me start with saying how much I love your blog! It's brilliant! Glad someone is giving due credit to the "short and long" of the world. I'd like to introduce you to Jasper and Ruby, my two miniature Dachshund puppies. Jasper is a smooth hair blonde dapple with a spooky blue eye. Ruby is a smooth red (no spooky eyes).

Dachshunds are the only breed of dogs my family has ever owned. We love them: their sassiness, energy and cuddly nature. I can't imagine having any other dog.

I got Jasper from a local breeder shortly after losing my red smooth Dachshund, Gus, in a tragic accident. We joke that Jasper is my "rebound" pup, adopting him less than two weeks after Gus's death. Jasper, who is supposedly a miniature, last weighed in at around 20 lbs. Not sure that falls into the category of Miniature-- I say he's just "big-boned". Jasper loves to play frisbee, soccer, and run circles around our home. I am currently training him to speak-- our progress is slow. :)

Ruby was adopted 4 months after I got Jasper. She is actually the younger sister of Gus, and their resemblance is striking. Ruby's breeders warned me the day I brought her home, that at only 8 weeks she was beginning to show her "sassy" side. They were so right. The runt of her litter, she weighs about 10 pounds but her small size doesn't slow her down--She can out run Jasper any day. Ruby loves to sun in the yard, and play dress up in her many, many sweaters, scarves, collars, and hoodies.

While this awesome new video focuses slightly more on the kitty (CATS!!) than it does the Dachshund, it offers up some nice tips on introducing a new pet to your home. Plus, 'Sydney,' the beautiful red longhair Piebald, is stunning to watch. By youtuber AnimalTherapCntr who comments: This true story follows this lovely cat as he settles in with his new family, which includes three dogs and a cat. Today Kitty meets Sydney, a gentle Dachshund BUT THE PACK LEADER OF THIS HOUSE, as they get to know each other.

Image: circa 1930s or earlier postcard as drawn by August Roeseler (?), German Artist, 1866 - 1934. Apparently Mr. Roeseler was an avid fan of Dachshunds. You can see two more of his Dachshund pieces at Askart, and there's another at Artnet.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Thanks so much to Susan & Tom Spencer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada for writing in and sending such a nice photo of their handsome black and tan smooth 'Max!' They write:

Dear Joey and Maggie,

This is our sweet, sensitive 6½ year-old Dachshund named Max. He had surgery 2 years ago for a severe herniated disc, and all has been well until he started showing signs of discomfort again this past summer. Our hearts sank imagining him having to undergo a second surgery. However, because he wasn't exhibiting extreme symptoms like last time, the vet chose a course of anti-inflammatories and pain meds, and told us to keep him as quiet as possible. Well, it paid off. Max didn't need a second surgery. But it is more clear now than ever before that he has, and always will have, issues with his back, and we simply can't allow him to run and jump around like the wild man he used to be. Sorry little fella. He doesn't seem to mind too much. As long as he gets to play with his ball, he's a happy guy!

We were sent the link to this new video, but we'll be darned if we can find the email with the details! By youtuber AprilDox who notes: The view from the rear of our Dachshund "sled" team....notice a couple of them have to stop, drop, and roll in the snow...don't know why we bother with coats....

If you like drama, you'll love this! The story is so twisted and insane, we can't even excerpt it for fear of leaving out a tatty detail, so we present it in its entirety via The Eagle Tribune, by Cara Hogan. Has the whole world gone crazy?

HAMPSTEAD, New Hampshire, December 4 — Princess Grace the dachshund is safe at home, but her owner is still barking mad she was stolen. Carol Cascadden, 61, admits she recently stole the dog from neighbor Patricia Reardon to upset her, and it worked. Reardon said she couldn't sleep for the 17 days her dog was missing. "I came home one day and said, 'Something is missing, Gracie's missing,"' Reardon said. "Who would do that? I called friends and said, 'You didn't take Gracie did you?' I was a wreck the whole time." Police arrested Cascadden on a burglary charge last week after finding the dog at the woman's Main Street home. She was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail and is to be arraigned Jan. 24 in Plaistow District Court. Cascadden told The Eagle-Tribune she took the dog because Reardon owed her $487. But Reardon said she doesn't owe Cascadden a cent. Reardon said she met Cascadden at a local farmstand earlier this year and Cascadden started stopping by her Island Pond Road home uninvited and unannounced. "She would appear in my house when I wasn't home to chat," Reardon said. "She would just walk right in. I used to keep my door unlocked, but not anymore." Reardon said Cascadden would talk for a long time and she would try to think of a polite way to ask her to leave. During one visit, Cascadden offered to reupholster two old chairs. "I never asked her to do anything," Reardon said. "Then one day, my chairs disappeared." Reardon said she wasn't too upset since the chairs were old and not worth much. "Later, she showed up and said, 'Here are your chairs," Reardon said. "Then she hands me a bill for almost $500. I thought it was a joke. I would have thrown the chair away before I paid $500 for them." Reardon pointed to the two chairs, both wood with small seat cushions Cascadden re-covered with a multicolored pattern. Reardon said the real issue wasn't the chairs at all, or even the money. Cascadden had asked to have her other dachshund that she gave away, but Reardon refused. "She could have just taken the chairs, but took my dog," Reardon said. "It's because she wanted one of my dogs. These dogs are expensive." When Reardon came home Nov. 9 and realized Princess Grace was gone, along with the large dog crate, she immediately suspected Cascadden. "I realized it must be her, who else would it be? She wanted one of my dogs and was telling people around town I owed her money," Reardon said. She reported her missing dog to police, who found it at Cascadden's home unharmed. Reardon said police returned Princess Grace, who was miserable after being stuck in her crate for days. Cascadden regrets taking the dog. She said it was humiliating when police took her fingerprints and snapped mug shots. "It was one of the stupidest things I've done in my life, I admit," she said. "I was completely sober and I took her damn dog." Cascadden said Princess Grace is "a cute dog, but it has fleas." Reardon said she is happy to have her dog back, but was really upset about Cascadden's comment. "My dog doesn't have fleas," she said.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Meet poor 'Moxie,' the Doxie found starving to death near a Popeye's Restaurant in Northeast Portland, Oregon on December 1st. A Good Samaritan took her to the Oregon Humane Society; she weighed just 4.7 pounds.

“On a body condition scale of one to nine, this dog was a one,” OHS Veterinarian Dr. Zarah Hedge said of the Dachshund. Its ribs and spine were visible and its temperature was eight degrees below normal.

Anyone with information on Moxie's owner is asked to call the OHS. Moxie is expected to gain weight and be up for adoption in a few weeks.

Find out more at KGW.com. We're hoping that this sweet girl gets her warm forever home in time for the holidays.

Heroic red smooth 'Ozzie' helps keep Pike Street vermin free so ten million visitors a year can enjoy Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Photo via Care2, originally from the City of Seattle.
Go Ozzie!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thanks so much to Lori St. Clair for writing in and sending such a beautiful photo of her beloved trio 'Windy,' 'Tinker,' and 'Gretel.' We loved reading this and know that you will too. Lori writes:

Dear Joey and Maggie,

I started reading your website because you were mentioned inDachshund Delightsand I have enjoyed it immensely. I thought I would tell you how I got "Doxieized" as my good friend tells it.

In November 1947, on a cold winter night, a Doxie was born somewheredeep in the City of Chicago. On the same day, I was born many milesaway in Colorado. My grandmother, Nana, wanted a Doxie. She had fallenin love with them and searched far and wide. Some 7-8 weeks after mybirth, Nana went on her quest and found a loving, friendly male pup thatdecided he was going to be hers. Unbeknownst to her it was a temporaryownership.

My mom finally brought me back to Chicago to live and thatis when I first met my dearest and closest friend "Fritz". He decidedthat when I was at Nana's he owned me. Nothing my Nana did wouldconvince him to obey her. That baby (me) was his and his alone. Wegrew up the best of friends. Shortly after moving to Chicago, my familymoved next door to him and Nana so we were together every day. When Iwas home, he would leave my Nana and spend his time with me until mybedtime.

For 18 years we were the closest friends ever. He knew all myjoys, tears, fears, and sorrows. He was always there for me. He sharedmy joy when I met my first boyfriend and was there to comfort me when webroke up. He also let me know which boyfriends he approved of. When mybest friend died, he didn't leave my side and would not go home to Nanauntil I had finished dealing with my sorrow. He died just before our 18thbirthday - the saddest day of my life.

Fast forward to 2003. I was wanting a small dog after always havinglarge ones since Fritz died. My daughter told me about a miniature longhaired Doxie that she had heard about. Hmmmmm finally after all theseyears.....could it be? Yes, there she was... the sweetheart of them all.She picked me...she just curled up in my lap and went straight to sleep.She is my mini best friend. I thought my life was complete once again.

But no, as you all know, Doxies are like potato chips - you just can'thave one. She now has two sisters. My life is full of Doxies and I amSOOOOOO Doxieized. They are my joy.

I don't have a photo of my Fritz but enclosed is a shot of my "girls" Windy, Tinker, and Gretel.

The months just roll on by, don't they? December - Winter hasn't even started yet, and we've already grown tired of the cold weather and snow. Your Long and Short of it All host 'Joey' runs to the back of the house and tries to hide in a corner when it's time to go outside, and he wears a sweater or jacket. 'Maggie' doesn't mind the cold as much, even though her coat is kept well-trimmed.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

It's Wirehair Wednesday, and you know what that means! Thanks so much to Kristina Winn for writing in about her beloved 'Schnitzel' and 'Frankie' from what we're sure is a cold day in Minnesota. She writes:

Dear Maggie and Joey,

I love your blog!

I've always been a dog lover, but it wasn't until I met my husband that I found out that I was a dachshund lover. We had a cat, and I asked my husband if we could ever get a dog. He said sure, but we had to get a dachshund (he told me later that he doesn't know why he wanted a dachshund, but he always thought they were cool). Long story short, we now have two.

Schnitzel, my baby girl, is a three year old mini black and tan wire haired. She loves looking out our front windows on top of a chair and barking at people. She loves sitting in mom's lap and also loves bounding through snow banks.

Frankie is a ten year old mini black and tan smooth coat. We adopted him this past September. My husband and I were wanting a second dachshund so we contacted the breeder we got Schnitzel from. She didn't have any puppies, and wouldn't for awhile. A few weeks later, she contacted us and asked if we would be willing to adopt Frankie. His owner had recently passed and the family was looking for a home for him. We readily agreed.

Frankie beans (as we affectionately call him) loves playing fetch and going for walks (except in the snow!). I've included a few pictures. Our cat is Pacino, a nine year old manx we adopted when my husband and I were first together. He's still the top dog, er, cat, in the house. He'll even clean Schnitzel on occasion.

Via the Las Cruces Sun-News out of New Mexico: Molly, a 12-year-old longhaired dachshund, plays in the leaves Tuesday at Young Park with Ginger Barkley for the dog's last hour before being euthanized. Molly's back had been getting progressively worse, causing the dog to become partially paralyzed, Barkley said. So, Barkley threw Molly a party the night before and Tuesday "went through the car wash because she loves to bark at the soapsuds and then we shared a Little Caesar's pizza."

Erdem's collectible multicolored printed silk Daschund is guaranteed to be every fashionista's best friend this Christmas. That's what they say at NET-A-PORTER where he is available for $270. You'd think for $270 that they could have spelled Dachshund correctly though. 100% silk. Dry clean. Designer print: Deneuve Paint. Length: 14 inches. Height: 11 inches.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Thanks so much to Judith Paton for writing in all the way from South Africa with the heroic tale of her beloved girl 'Pepper.' She writes:

Hi there Joey and Maggie,

First of all I need to start by saying that I just love your site. I will come back to see on a regular basis.

I would like to tell you about my dachshund Pepper, well we have 3 (Pepper, Rogueford & Cricket). But Pepper the eldest at 6 years is a remarkable little dog. Me being a diabetic who uses insulin 4 times daily need never to forget to take it. She just never forgets. On the hour 4 times daily she reminds me about the insulin. She would bark at me if it is time for me to take my shot. When I take my little bag out and open it she barks at me and insists to take the medicine out herself. She would carefully take it out and put it in front of me. But the most remarkable thing she ever did was the day I went into a semi coma. I still cry when I just think of it. I wasn’t feeling well that day and she was following me like a shadow. She always follows me but this was different. She just did not leave me alone. Always licking me and that is not like her. She is not a licker. Long story short, I went and laid on the bed and fell into a semi coma. She realised it and went barking at the gate. My neighbour said it was strange for her that Pepper is barking like that but thought she was just barking at something. When this did not work she pushed the phone off the hook and pushed the buttons. Well she must have pushed the speed dial because it rang through to my sisters phone. When she picked up she heard Pepper barking frantically. She said she just realised it was one of my dogs barking like that. First she thought nothing of it, but after a few minutes she realised but how is it possible for the dog to phone her. Well she rushed off to my house and found me on the bed in this semi coma. (She does have a key to my house). She said that the dogs were beside themselves. Especially Pepper. She was barking and howling and crying at the same time.

This little dog saved my life that day. We always just think she is clever but she a brilliant. Who said dogs can't think for themselves? I owe my life to her.

Family Album Pose...Mastro took this picture because he thought it would be "cute for the family album." Acturally, he's always eager to capture an intriguing feature photo. And, he couldn't resist this temptation, right in his own home.

Thieves are really on the ready when they can steal a semi-truck in a Laredo, Texas grocery store parking lot in less than 30 minutes. A Canadian couple lost the brand new truck along with their personal documents, but the most important thing missing is 'Juhas,' their beloved black and tan smooth.

Human Katarlyna says she doesn't care about the truck, or the items inside, she simply wants Juhas, her pet of over six years, back. “I’m sure the people who takes my truck they don’t need my dog.”“Maybe the people don't know he's inside the truck. He is small and has nice sleeper so he can go inside and nobody can see him.”She and her husband are staying in Laredo as long as they can, hoping someone will find him. “I can’t believe that really happened. I think I’ll wake up and the horrible dream will be finished.”The dog has a microchip and the family says they're willing to pay a reward for him.

We're hoping Juhas is reunited with his family. Find out more at Pro 8 News.

Friday, December 3, 2010

November saw the launch of Google Street View in Germany, and it didn't go so well. A man was embarrassed to say the least as he was talking to some prostitutes through the window of a brothel in Nuremberg and the 360-degree google camera captured him when he was entering the establishment. After the photo circulated the net, Google then blurred out the faces of folks captured in any of their shots - even the Dachshunds! Check out this photo at Marienplatz in Munich.Source.

A German newspaper has reviewed some Munich legends - and states that when you think of Munich, you also think of Dachshunds. The article goes on to note the decline in popularity of our favorite canines, stating that there are just hundreds of Dachshunds in Munich now, compared to thousands in the 1970's.

Favorite Love Stories From The Archives

The Long and Short of Dachshunds in Popular Culture

FALL AND WINTER FASHION FOR DACHSHUNDISTS

Put a Dachshund in your lap, turn up the volume, and select the full screen button at bottom right corner of video to view full size.

Speak!

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Do you know a special dachshund? Wait..., they're all special! Submit a dachshund news story and tell us all about it. We're always looking for fun dachshund news, stories, art, history, trivia, or articles. The only requirement really is a nice photo, video, or image to go along with it. Send it on to your hosts, Bette and Rowdy. Or just drop a line to say 'Woof!' We apologize that we can't always get back to everyone for every wonderful piece submitted.